American Legend wins amphib certification

October 6, 2009

ByAlton K. Marsh

The FAA has approved light sport certification of the $159,000 American Legend FloatCub amphibious aircraft. The aircraft is based on a lightweight model of the Legend Cub and is equipped with Baumann Floats.

The aircraft features a simple, repositionable landing gear. The first copy of the aircraft has traveled from Texas to Oshkosh, Wis., to Maine and back to the Sulphur Springs, Texas, factory. At the Thirty-sixth Annual International Seaplane Fly-In in Greenville, Maine, last month, the American Legend Amphibious FloatCub took two awards including “Best Take-Off” and the coveted “Cutest Darn Aircraft” award.

The aircraft has doors on both sides of the cockpit and uses an electric starter, thus eliminating the precarious step of hand-propping and maneuvering back to the cockpit. The first customer aircraft is currently in production.

Baumann has manufactured lightweight and medium-weight FAA-certified floats since 1989.

AOPA Pilot Senior Editor Alton Marsh has been a pilot since 1970 and has an airline transport pilot certificate and instrument and multiengine flight instructor certificates, aerobatic training, and a commercial seaplane certificate.

AOPA is calling on its members to take immediate action to build support for new legislation that would reform the third class medical process and provide other protections for general aviation pilots.